It is extremely important to clean food processing facilities like breweries, dairy plants and carbonated beverage plants. Typically, such food processing facilities are cleaned by subjecting the internal or external portions of the machines that make up the facilities to a solution that reacts with the various soils present within the machines.
A conventional CIP system, for example, has several storage containers. Each storage container, independently, houses a solution (e.g., pre-rinse solution, cleaning solution, post-rinse solution) that is fed (non-simultaneously) into the facility targeted for cleaning or decontamination. Often, the solutions are pumped into the gas and liquid passages of the machines in the facilities being cleaned and then circulated through the system until they are finally discharged to waste.
Typical CIP systems are known to employ chlorine. However, chlorine is not environmentally friendly and can form by-products with many organic substances found in the facilities being cleaned. These by-products are not desired and can be carcinogenic materials. Also, chlorine may result in carcinogenic by-products in, for example, the waste sites it is finally discarded to. Other CIP systems are known to use active agents like hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid. Such systems, however, require high levels of the active agents making their uses non-feasible, for example, from an economic standpoint. Furthermore, agents like peracetic acid tent to have a very pungent aroma.
It is of increasing interest to prepare to CIP composition that is environmentally friendly and economical to use. This invention, therefore, is directed to a CIP composition that does not result in the generation of environmentally unfriendly by-products and that unexpectedly does not require the use of a detergent to demonstrate superior cleaning properties. This invention is also directed to a method for using the CIP composition in a food processing facility.